Whether you’ve played golf just once or it’s basically the only thing you want to do in the morning besides go back to bed, you know that the game has plenty of unwritten rules. Whether they’re rules about following actual, written rules or just things that’ll help you — and everyone else around you — enjoy the game more, there’s plenty of things to know before you hit the links. Here’s a look at golf’s 20 unwritten rules every golfer should know: 20. Murphy’s Law is Alive and Well Soul Train I hate to kick this list off with a negative sentiment, but anyone who has played golf for more tha ..read more

If you’ve ever played in a golf tournament, you’ll likely never forget the feeling of stepping up to that first tee shot. I certainly remember mine. As I set my ball on the tee I had one thought: “don’t embarrass yourself.” So inevitably what I did was snap a duck hook directly into the trees lining the left side of the fairway. I never quite recovered from that for the rest of the round (I don’t think I broke 100 that day), and while I’ve had better experiences since then, it’s not one I’ll soon forget. “Why can’t I play my best when it matters?” It’s a question that’s plagued golfers since ..read more

“Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.” It’s something we usually say at least half-jokingly, but as with most jokes, there’s a kernel of truth in there. You spend hours grinding at the range, digesting swing tips, and daydreaming about the next time you can get on the course, but once you’re out there all it takes is one lucky bounce, one gust of wind, one ill-placed sprinkler head to make or break your round. Face it: no matter how good you get, luck will always be a factor on the golf course. Here’s 6 ways that random chance affects your game: Bounces and Breaks PGA Tour Let ..read more

Every year, as we wind down from the excitement of the holidays, most of us like to reflect on the year that’s passed; how we’ve grown, what we’ve learned, the experiences and stories that stayed with us. As I reflected on the top SoCal golf stories from 2023, it got me thinking: why wait until the end of 2024 to do this again? Let’s get a jump start on it now and save myself some time at the end of the year. I’m sure there’s no way any of this ages poorly: 1. The Merger Drags On The PGA Tour shook the golf world last June when they announced that they had reached an agreement to j ..read more

We’ve spent the past few years discussing the rapid growth of golf, so it only makes sense that 2023 would be a year defined by the evolution of golf. From the professional ranks to your favorite local course to places many wouldn’t have dreamed golf would be played, change has come to the game of golf. Change can be a scary word, especially for a sport bound in tradition, but as we know, it’s a necessary and healthy part of sustaining anything. And let’s be clear: who’s playing golf, where its being played and how people enjoy it may be adapting to a new generation, but the why has remained ..read more

As a dad in my mid-30s, I’ll admit that my grasp on what’s “cool” any more is slipping away. But even I can tell you that when it comes to trends, golf is on the rise. You don’t have to take my word for it, though, just look at the data: 18-34 year olds, often considered the benchmark demographic for what’s cool and trending, now make up the largest portion of active golfers. That’s not even counting the over 6 million young adults that aren’t currently playing but have expressed an interest in taking up golf. Even among non-golfers, the perception of golf is rapidly changing. In the past dec ..read more

If there’s one thing that can be said for certain about the game of golf, it’s that it’s a game of rules. It’s a necessary measure for a sport that lacks uniformity across courses and where a seemingly endless number of scenarios can occur, but it’s also a daunting task to attempt to create a single set of rules that applies equally and fairly for the top golfers in the world and the casual weekend player. Most golfers at least make an attempt to play by the rules, but the sheer depth of the rule book can lead golfers to (knowingly or unknowingly) bend or break the rules from time to time. The ..read more

If there’s one thing that can be said for certain about the game of golf, it’s that it’s a game of rules. It’s a necessary measure for a sport that lacks uniformity across courses and where a seemingly endless number of scenarios can occur, but also can cause confusion for even the most experienced players. There are instances where the rules can actually help you out, but more often than not playing strictly by the rules is going to make your round more difficult. Most golfers at least make an attempt to play by the rules, but the sheer depth of the rule book can lead golfers to (knowing ..read more

The headlines regarding professional golf have been dominated for the past year by LIV Golf, a newly-created competitor to the PGA TOUR. The news culminated with the recent announcement that the PGA TOUR, the DP World Tour, and the PIF (the source of LIV Golf’s finances) agreed to join forces. The merger is sure to shake things up on the professional level, but the larger question is how this will impact the golfing world at large. Here’s what you need to know: The Rundown On June 6, the PGA TOUR sent shockwaves through the golf world when it announced it had reached an agreement with the Pub ..read more

When golf courses shut down in March of 2020, it was a long month or so waiting for them to reopen. When the announcement finally came out in April that golf could once again resume, I immediately hit up the golf crew about getting back on the course. We clearly weren’t the only ones with the idea though, because by the time we settled on a time we could play, the closest available was at the Golf Club of Rancho California, about 75 miles away. We didn’t think anything of making the drive from Long Beach to Murrieta at the time, as we were just happy to be playing golf somewhere. Little did w ..read more